Grants for Performing Arts
Last updated October 3, 2026
Grantable tracks 545 active grants for performing arts in its free grants database, drawn from state and foundation sources and updated daily. 10 of them have a verified open deadline or accept applications on a rolling basis. 318 list an award amount, with a median of $10K.
- Grants tracked
- 545
- from 348 funders
- Median award
- $10K
- middle half $5,000–$25K
- Total listed funding
- $22.3M
- across 318 grants that list an amount
- Rolling deadlines
- 9
- 14 with a published date
On this page: State Foundation · Updated daily
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| ★ | Grant |
|---|---|
| John Franzén Grant for the Arts Capitol Hill Community Foundation · Foundation ~October · $25K The John Franzén Grant for the Arts is a single $25,000 grant awarded each year to support novel visual, performing, and architectural/design arts programs that can cultivate new audiences and enhance community life on Capitol Hill. | |
| Member Arts Organizations Operating Support / Allocations Fund for the Arts · Foundation ~October · Varies Fund for the Arts provides annual operating expense assistance to 12 member arts groups that operate in the Kanawha Valley. | |
| Pay Your People Grant Indiespace Inc · Foundation ~November · $1K | |
| Visit Eau Claire Cultural Arts Grant Program Eau Claire Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Inc · Foundation Nov 15, 2026 · Varies The program prioritizes innovation, experimentation, and artistic growth, encouraging projects that: To be competitive, a project must be time-limited and open to the public. Priority given to: | |
| Levitt Festival Grant Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation Inc · Foundation ~November · Up to $5K The Levitt Foundation (Levitt Family Foundation) works to strengthen the social fabric of America by activating underused outdoor public spaces with free, live music that brings people together. | |
| Helen Walker Performing Arts Grants Alaska State Council on the Arts · State Dec 1, 2026 · Varies Grant named for Helen A. Walker, a major arts advocate in the state. Supports performing arts. | |
| Julie Hayes Grant - Performing Arts Gilroy Foundation · Foundation ~December · $10K | |
| Knight Foundation Cultural Opportunity Fund The Arts Partnership · Foundation ~December · $10K – $14K Foster the artistry and growth of local performers and organizations by providing the opportunity to present programming in the Concert Hall at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts with an emphasis on cultural diversity and artistic… | |
| Adrienne Shelly Production Grant (Boston University) Adrienne Shelly Foundation Inc · Foundation ~January · Varies The Adrienne Shelly Production Grant is awarded each Winter at the Redstone Film Festival to an undergraduate film student. | |
| Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival at MASS MoCA Bang on a Can Inc · Foundation ~January · Varies A 3-week musical utopia for innovative composers and performers dedicated entirely to adventurous contemporary music. | |
| George London Foundation Competition (Annual Opera Singing Competition) George and Nora London Foundation for Singers Inc · Foundation ~February · $2K – $12K Annual competition for young American and Canadian opera singers, one of the opera world's oldest and most prestigious competitions. | |
| Tournament of Roses Foundation Grants Program Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association · Foundation ~March · Up to $35K The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Foundation provides grant assistance to support new and ongoing programs benefiting children, teens, adults, and seniors in the San Gabriel Valley. | |
| PAPA Performing Arts Scholarship Leigh HS Performing Arts Parents Associa · Foundation ~April · Varies PAPA grants scholarships for graduating seniors who have participated in Drama, Choir, or Instrumental Music (including Marching Arts programs) at Leigh High School. | |
| Rufus and Margo Rose New Works Fund The Puppeteers of America Inc · Foundation ~July · $500 – $1K Honors fine performers and great friends of puppetry, Rufus and Margo Rose. Makes financial grants to active puppeteers for projects that will further the growth and development of the art of puppetry. | |
| CFWT: Sybil Harrington Endowment for the Arts Grant Community Foundation of West Texas · Foundation Not published · Varies The Sybil Harrington Endowment for the Arts, established by the Community Foundation of West Texas, supports diverse artistic and cultural initiatives in Lubbock and Hale counties. | |
| Venue Access Grants – Nonprofits Arts & Science Council Charlotte/Mecklenburg Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Grant program to support nonprofit organizations in accessing performance or exhibition venues. | |
| Jetton Charitable Fund Grant Omaha Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · $20K The Jetton Charitable Fund Grant aims to enhance youth cultural education in Omaha through performing and visual arts, and natural sciences. | |
| Youth in Theatre Grants Door County Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $500 The Youth in Theatre Grants aim to financially support theatrical productions in Door County that prominently feature youth in key roles. | |
| South Arts Express Grants South Arts Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies _NOTE: Applications for this program are now closed._ South Arts believes that rural communities deserve great art, and can require specialized support to make that vision viable. | |
| Sarah Creech Performing Arts Scholarship Grant Community Foundation of the Lowcountry · Foundation Not published · Varies The Sarah Creech Performing Arts Scholarship, established in 2013 by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, honors the memory of Sarah Creech. | |
| Del Shores Foundation Writers Search Del Shores Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies A playwriting competition established by the Del Shores Foundation to discover and support new theatrical voices. | |
| Enhancing Lives through Charitable Giving Grant Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher · Foundation Not published · Varies The Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation, established in 1977, is dedicated to enhancing lives through charitable giving. | |
| Casting Society Cares Grant Entertainment Community Fund · Foundation Not published · Varies Casting Society Cares offers Emergency Financial Assistance to performing arts and entertainment professionals facing unexpected critical needs. | |
| IATSE Local 798 Fund Grant Entertainment Community Fund · Foundation Not published · Varies The IATSE Local 798 Fund offers emergency financial assistance to performing arts and entertainment professionals facing unexpected critical needs. |
Showing 1–24 of 545
Grants for performing arts by the numbers
How deadlines work
- Rolling or ongoing
- 9 2%
- Upcoming date published
- 14 3%
- Stated cycle, no date yet
- 118 22%
- No deadline published
- 404 74%
Only 14 of these grants publish a date, too few to show a seasonal pattern.
Funders with the most open grants for performing arts
- Entertainment Community Fund 11 open
- Asian Cultural Council Inc 9 open
- Opera America Inc 9 open
- South Arts Inc 9 open
- The Dramatists Guild Fund Inc 8 open
- The Bronx Council on the Arts Incorporated 7 open
348 funders have at least one open grant in this category.
Source: Grantable's grants database, compiled from funder websites, Grants.gov and state grant portals. Figures cover all 545 active grants for performing arts (with a deadline today or later, or none published) as of October 3, 2026, and refresh daily. Award amounts are each grant's listed maximum; 2 listed amounts over $10M are left out, since they're usually program-wide totals rather than single awards.
About grants for performing arts
Grants for the performing arts support theater, dance, music, opera, and presenting organizations through production, touring, education, and operating funds. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funds the field through its Grants for Arts Projects program, and state arts councils and regional arts organizations distribute additional public dollars. Private foundations like the Mellon and Doris Duke foundations support larger institutions, artists, and field-wide initiatives.
A long list is the starting point, not the shortlist. Our grant prospecting guide shows how to narrow grants for performing arts down to the funders most likely to say yes, using their giving records.
Grants for Performing Arts by state
Browse grants for performing arts available to organizations in 10 states.
Related grant categories
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do grants for performing arts award?
Of the 545 grants for performing arts Grantable lists as of October 3, 2026, 318 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $10K, and the middle half fall between $5,000 and $25K. The largest is $6M. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.
Which funders offer the most grants for performing arts?
By number of open listings, the most active funders are Entertainment Community Fund (11), Asian Cultural Council Inc (9), Opera America Inc (9), South Arts Inc (9), and The Dramatists Guild Fund Inc (8). In all, 348 funders have at least one open grant in this category.
When are grants for performing arts due?
Of 545 grants listed, 9 accept applications on a rolling basis, 14 have a published upcoming deadline, 118 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 404 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site.
What grants are available for the performing arts?
Performing arts organizations can pursue funding for productions, commissions, touring, presenting series, arts education, and operating support across disciplines like theater, dance, music, and opera. The NEA's Grants for Arts Projects is the principal federal source, and state and regional arts agencies offer project and operating grants. Private foundations add support for new work, artist development, and institutional capacity.
Who funds the performing arts?
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is the central federal funder, working through state arts councils and regional arts organizations that re-grant public funds locally. Private funders such as the Mellon Foundation and the Doris Duke Foundation support performing arts institutions and artists nationally, and community foundations and corporate programs fund local companies and venues.
Can individual performers apply, or only organizations?
Most public performing arts grants go to nonprofit organizations rather than individuals. Individual performers and creators typically access support through fellowships, prizes, and commissions from foundations and service organizations, or by working under a fiscal sponsor or partnering with a nonprofit so they can receive organizational funding.
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